


Wrapping

by coaldustcanary



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 17:45:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8810101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coaldustcanary/pseuds/coaldustcanary
Summary: It’s Friday night, and Yara thinks she has better places to be than watching her girlfriend festively wrap a mountain of charitable donations.





	

Gift-wrapping inevitably seemed to be a pointless and tedious fuss to Yara’s way of thinking. Though she enjoyed giving gifts, she never bothered with shiny paper and bows. Holiday gift-giving for Yara meant good holiday spirits – literally. Last week she’d loaded up a cart at the bargain bin liquor store with middling-quality booze in generous quantities, just so she’d always have a handle of _something_ on hand to tote to the next party and wave in the direction of the host. (If she was feeling particularly fancy she’d take it out of the paper bag, first.) And then she’d make damn sure to drink what she’d brought over the course of the night and get her money’s worth. Holiday cheer via holiday cheers, and all that.

Daenerys, on the other hand, had a very different take on the True Meaning of the Season and all that bullshit, and it involved a great deal of selflessness rather than self-indulgence.

Which was why Yara was here in the Student Activities Annex on the Friday night of finals week, of all times, with fall term in the bag and campus essentially empty, watching her girlfriend wrap, secure ribbon around and tie merry bows on donated gifts with methodical precision. Meanwhile, at least three different parties were already coming together tonight, to judge by the chatter in several ongoing group text conversations that buzzed Yara’s phone at regular intervals. Even as she eyed the mountain of unwrapped parcels on the table next to where Dany worked, Yara had a sinking feeling that this “quick responsibility” wasn’t going to be so quick. This night was threatening to turn into a total loss.

Heaving a theatrical sigh, Yara shoved a pile of fliers advertising Community Service Opportunities with the Serving the Seven Club off of the couch and dropped to the faded cushions with a groan. She glanced away from her phone to Dany, who appeared heartlessly unmoved by Yara’s increasing restlessness, folding paper crisply between her fingers. It was heavy, glossy wrapping paper, printed in whites, greens and blues, snowflakes and trees and birds (“No religious imagery, we can’t know how the recipient feels about the faith of the Seven, after all,” Dany had observed solemnly as she had carefully chosen several rolls.) and it creaked as she worked.

“You know,” Dany said with deceptive mildness in her tone, not bothering to turn away from her work or so much as glance in Yara’s direction, “if you got up here and helped me, this would go faster.” Yara’s breath escaped her in an amused puff.

“Not likely. I’ve never wrapped a gift before in my _life_ ,” Yara lied easily. Dany’s response was a soft snort, even as she leaned across the table to place a completed wrapping job atop the others. Yara hummed her approval as the festive red skirt hugging Dany’s hips rode up as she stretched forward, baring a few more inches of the backs of her thighs.

“Besides, I rather like the view from here,” Yara quipped, a smirk tugging at her lips.

“You’re incorrigible,” Dany huffed, hesitating only a moment before reaching for a new box to begin her wrapping process anew. She still didn’t turn around, but she shifted her weight slightly, one hip cocking to the side, and Yara’s smile stretched into a grin. Now this had potential.

“You know it and you love it. But seriously, we had plans tonight, remember?” Yara let a touch of petulance slip into her voice – it wasn’t difficult, though resisting the urge to drum her heels on the floor like a child denied candy _was_ , rather.

“To my mind, ‘Let’s pregame on some sipping whiskey and see who misses us and texts first’ is not a plan.”

“It’s the _best_ plan,” Yara replied decisively.

“Yeah, no. That’s your Friday night default behavior, that’s not a plan. Besides, I told you last week that this was going to fall on me because every other club officer left town halfway through finals week, so either I get these gifts wrapped or they’re not getting wrapped at all,” Dany said firmly, yanking free a fresh piece of tape with a vicious jerk. Yara pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side.

“You’re mad.”

“I’m not mad,” Dany replied carefully.

“Okay, you’re furious, actually,” Yara said, leaning forward off the couch and eyeing the rigid set of Dany’s shoulders critically. Wrapping paper crumpled between Dany’s fingers as she frozen, and then finally looked back over her shoulder at Yara, lips set in a grimace, before turning back to her work, smoothing the wrinkles out of the paper with a soft touch.

“I used to like wrapping presents,” she said, voice soft. “I love the holidays, you know? Even though I never had anyone who gave me real gifts, sometimes there was a basket or a toy from a local charity or church. Sometimes it was even wrapped. I remember how special it was when it was wrapped, those gifts. I just…” She shrugged, trailing off. Pocketing her phone, Yara stood and walked across the room, nudging Dany’s shoulder with her own as she picked up the tape dispenser the other woman had discarded and fiddled with it.

“But you don’t like wrapping presents anymore?” she prompted, quirking a brow. Yara pulled a length of tape free, grimacing as the plastic dispenser creaked ominously, though it brought a brief smile to Dany’s face as she plucked the length of tape from Yara’s fingers. Yara fought the desire to roll her eyes as Dany silently sized up the tape for a moment before picking up the scissors and snipping the tape into two pieces.

“Hold this,” Dany said, pressing one of the halves on Yara’s hand and leaning back over the gift to match up the edges of the wrapping paper carefully.

“I don’t know. Now it feels different. Like I’m taken for granted. Nobody even asked if I’d need help. Not one. Single. Club member.” Dany pressed the tape down on the package with a grimace, her fingers moving with brisk efficiency over the package as she turned it to wrap up the edges, making sharp folds.

“Well, they’re assholes.” Dany shot her a mutinous look and Yara relented. Slightly.

“They’re fucking lazy and thoughtless, at minimum. Come on. This is a service learning club. You’d think they’d have the self-awareness to think of other people, but they don’t. You do almost everything to keep the club together. Hell, I do more to help out with the bake sales and the raffles and shit than half the club members do. They just want resume padding,” Yara huffed dismissively, wrinkling her nose. Dany glanced at her sideways, pulling the other piece of tape from her hand.

“That’s true,” she admitted, her face falling into a soft sadness as she finished wrapping the gift, reaching to the pile of ribbons and bows to find a matching bit of frippery to put on the package. Yara pulled her arm gently, turning her away from the table and brushing a lock of golden hair away from Dany’s face.

“Hey. Fuck them. We’ve got this. You’ll just have to tell me how to do this shit. And maybe let me get in a few ‘I told you so’ mentions about the gift bags,” Yara said, poking Dany’s shoulder with a smirk. The mild jibe provoked another smile, and Yara started as she heard the crinkle of ribbon and looked down to see a white bow stuck to her shirt, Dany’s fingers holding it there gently.

“You don’t take me for granted, at least,” Dany said, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. Yara returned it gently, sweetly, with only the softest tease of tongue along Dany’s lower lip. She quirked a brow and glanced sideways at the couch, cocking her head to the side, only to laugh as Dany rolled her eyes dramatically and pressed a roll of wrapping paper into her hands.

“Come on, get to wrapping,” Dany said, pushing Yara to the other side of the table. Grumbling under her breath good-naturedly, Yara pulled out a stretch of paper and started measuring to cut.

“You can _unwrap_ later.”

Yara only tore the paper a little.


End file.
